SOVIET REVERSE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 100, 22 January 1940, Page 7

SOVIET REVERSE

Division Retires North Of Lake Ladoga FAILURE OF FLANKING MOVEMENT Finnish And Russian Air Forces Active Hy Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received January 21, 7.5 p.m.) HELSINKI, January 20. A Russian division north of Lake Ladoga, under the direct command of General Issmo Stern, is beginning to retire and a large Russian force near Kitela is reported to have been cut off. The Russian objective, an attack on the flank near the Mannerheim Line, thus seems to have failed. The Russians claim to have destroyed a Finnish battalion, but a Finnish communique records the capture of several enemy positions in this area, and the destruction of several Russian patrols.

Russia replied with 450 bombers to the reinforcement of the Finnish air force, and the severe punishment which the. Finns are inflicting on the Salla and Ladoga fronts. Two hundred and fifty bombers swooped ou the Karelian Isthmus front and 200 others strafed Helsinki, Turku, Hanku and other objectives as far north as the Paats River and dropped 300 bombs. They machine-gunned and killed one civilian and injured 45 others.

The Finnish air force is much more active, and engaged in major air battles in addition to bombing the Russian rear and communications. It is announced that 205 Russian planes have been shot down since the outbreak of war. Captures include 434 tanks, 189 guns, 282 machine-guns, 522 cars, and 1500 horses. The bloodiest fighting of the war continued today on the 'Salla front. The Red army is doing* its utmost to avoid a defeat. The Finnish casualties are believed to be much heavier than previously. There is a constant procession of ambulances with wounded to the rear, in addition to columns of prisoners. The Russians are much better equipped and are entrenched more firmly. Air raiders three times bombed suburbs of Helsinki, starting fires. Concurrently with the official announcement from Helsinki that Swedish airmen participated in bombing Russian camps and columns, Danes, Norwegians, Italians and Americans went into action with the Finnish forces. Thousands of Finns who were hitherto exempt will be available for the army under a new scheme for volunteers. Red Division Trapped. A trapped Russian division on the Salla front is hastily throwing up fortifications. The Finns are attacking from the-front and' flanks in the hope of annihilating itThe Russians heavily bombed a dozen south Finnish towns, and caused 12 fires at Turku where the British Vice-Oonsul’t house was damaged, the family sheltering in a dugout. A Russian communique claims the destruction of a Finnish battalion and the capture of 26 machine-guns at Kitela.